Looking ahead

Here’s what we have planned for the November issue.

Has Industrial Design Become Bland?

Remember those chairs that you kneel on to help with posture? Or Earth Shoes, where the toes were higher up than the toes? For a time in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, ergonomic designs that took on unusual forms were all the rage. Uncovering some of the reasons why the fun factor is fading.

Engineering History: Three Mile Island

A $1.6-billion effort to restart Three Mile Island is now in full swing, with completion expected in 2028—just shy of the 1979 partial meltdown’s 50th anniversary. In this piece from the Mechanical Engineering vault, four key figures shared a look back at how they helped avert a nuclear disaster.

Coming in December

With a significant portion of the East African Rift Valley running through it, Kenya generates nearly half of all its energy from geothermal sources. How one of the first African countries to rely on geothermal for large-scale energy production is continuing its leadership in renewable power. And an exploration into the obscure importance of electric motors—a ubiquitous feature in today’s society, ranging from the tiny motors that make our cellphones vibrate to the behemoths that drive huge industrial fans.